Middle East Near You

Israel court approves punitive demolition of Palestinian house in Tulkarm

23-year-old Palestinian Ashraf Na’alowa went on the run more than two months ago after being accused of killing two Israeli settlers on 6 October at his workplace in the illegal Barkan settlement [AlRai]

December 7, 2018 at 1:21 pm

Israel Supreme Court yesterday rejected an appeal by a Palestinian family whose house is threatened with demolition in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm, Yedioth Ahronothreported.

Twenty-three-year-old Palestinian Ashraf Na’alowa went on the run more than two months ago after being accused of killing two Israeli settlers on 6 October at his workplace in the illegal Barkan settlement, which is built on land belonging to the Palestinian town of Salfit. His family have lived with the threat of demolition since.

“If they demolish it we will rebuild it”

Occupation authorities have tried to pressure Na’alowa to surrender by arresting his family members. His parents and brother are still in Israeli detention with his father charged with “failing to prevent the incident”.

The family home has also been threatened with demolition as a punitive measure which rights groups have repeatedly denounced as collective punishment. Collective penalties are prohibited under international law. According to Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem, since 2015, Israeli punitively demolished 44 Palestinian houses resulting in the displacement of 260 Palestinians.

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